First Cut
by PhantomShadowKat
Summary: A 17 year old Danny hears singing on his way home after a ghost fight... Watch the fluff unfold...
1. Chapter 1

**Aight, I'm working on my other fic, Silent Echoes, but I got this crazy idea in the car! So, here it goes! I know things like this have been done eleventiy gazillion times, but I don't care! (Be prepared, it's a songfic! I don't know if I used the song properly, but whatever... Feel free to flame if the song doesn't fit!) (oh, one more thing-the characters are severely OOC in my opinion, but I tried, so, yeah...)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the rights toDanny Phantom, the song _The First Cut is the Deepest _by Sheryl Crow, or any of the other bands/singers/instrumintalists I list but I do own... I do own...aww crud, what am I sayin', I got nothin'!**

**_italics-_song lyrics or Sam's thoughts**

**underline-Danny's thoughts**

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The First Cut

A seventeen-year old Danny was making his way home after a fight when a tendril of music caught his attention. It was late on a Sunday night. The summer breeze tugged at his snowy-white, messy hair and his glowing green eyes snapped to alert.

He realized he was near Sam's house, and he had caught her either singing softly or yelling along to her music before (she liked everything from The Gorillaz, to Greenday, to The Fallout Boys, to Nine Inch Nails, to soft songs, to just plain crazy stuff). He paused.

Three years hadn't done the gang much different. Danny was still clueless and fawning over Valerie (who returned the feelings double-fold even though she still hunted his other half with something that can only be descibed as a passion), Sam was still sticking it out on the sidelines (and her parents were almost never home because once she hit the legal age to be left home alone overnight, they high-tailed it, from "business trips" to "outings", but when they were home, they were much happier, if that was possible), and Tucker was still a techno-geek and hitting on every girl in sight. Okay, so the trio was actually pretty different, but not drastically. They were still on the same social rung together, but that rung had moved up considerably. Sam had hit womanhood (enough said, she was pretty sexy), Danny finally got ripped and had the reflexes to make it on almost any sports team (most of the girls thought he was hot!), and Tucker had gotten pretty rugged looking himself so that girls had the horomonal impulse to say yes ('T.F., as in Too Fine!' actually worked on some girls now).

He heard Sam's voice drifting out with the words. It was a song that surprised him, even for Sam.

_I would have given you all of my heart  
but there's someone who's torn it apart  
and she's taking almost all that I've got  
but if you want, I'll try to love again  
baby I'll try to love again but I know _

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest  
'cause when it comes to being lucky she's cursed  
when it comes to lovin' me she's worst  
but when it comes to being loved she's first  
that's how I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest

I still want you by my side  
just to help me dry the tears that I've cried  
cause I'm sure gonna give you a try  
and if you want, I'll try to love again  
but baby, I'll try to love again, but I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest

'Cause when it comes to being lucky she's cursed  
when it comes to lovin' me she's worst  
but when it comes to being loved she's first  
that's how I know

The first cut is the deepest, baby I know  
The first cut is the deepest"

Wow, she sang it with all of her heart, like she really felt it... He then heard her as she was racked with sobs. He felt a squeeze at his heart, and it tore him to pieces for some unknown reason. He felt pulled to her room, like he couldn't stop himself.

He phased into Sam's room and watched as she sobbed on the bed, heaving while she clutched at the comforter. He gently sat down beside her. He felt as if her sorrow was his.She looked up somewhat startled and began wiping her face viciously.

"D-Danny! What are you-you doing in he-here!"

"I heard you singing and then you were crying! I came to see what was wrong!" he said worriedly as he transformed back to human. The bright light blinded her for a moment, but she was used to it and her vision faded back. He gently placed his hand on her cheek and went to wipe away some of her tears. "You sounded like you meant it, like you felt every word you said, er... sang..." Her stunned face looked up at him. _How much had he heard? and how clueless was he really?_

She gulped, still flooded with emotions, and shaky as ever. He was so close... and yet she could never have him...She collasped backwards on her bed and closed her eyes. She felt weak and helpless... She hated this! She wanted to shout out how she realy felt to the high heavens, but her mouth wouldn't move. _What if he didn't feel that way back? I've had over 10 years to sort out my feelings! What if he hasn't! _She was screaming inside her head.

He leaned over her as she collapsed, so he was lying over her, keeping his weight off of her with his arms. Suddenly he realized how close they were. He savored this moment and took in all sorts of details. Like how smooth her skin was, how silky her hair looked, how she smelt like lavender, violets, and... green apple? How easy it wold be to kiss her. How sweet her skin would taste...No! He shook his head to snap out of his daze.

Sam's eyes fluttered open faintly to see Danny right over her, shaking his head so that his beautiful raven hair fluttered and feathered out and at that moment she had no control. She could only act. She pushed herself up, pressing her mouth against his. She poured all of her passion, her heartache, her lust, into that one kiss. She fell back, ready for the trauma that would most definitely follow. What she wasn't ready for though, was a second round. Danny leaned down and kissed her again, but not as aggresively as she had kissed him. Sam melted into him.

Danny's tongue pleaded for entrance into her mouth and she obligued. They began to battle it out with their tongues. She melted even more into him. They reluctantly stopped for air, giving them ample opportunity to think.

_Please say this isn't another one of my exotic drems! Please say it's real! Please say it's real! Please say it's real!_ Sam repeated over and over in her mind.

Meanwhile, things were slowly dawning on Danny, like a slow, steady trickle of water. So that's why-! And that's why-! That's why Sam-!...He continued on like this for a few seconds, realization flooding over him. He didn't care anymore though, he just wanted more. He leaned back down for another kiss.

Sam was ready for him this time, and instead of letting his tongue come into her mouth, she invaded his, fighting for dominancy. She nipped his lower lip with her teeth, lusting for more. _I don't care if this is a dream! I just hope I never EVER wake up!_

She pressed into him, arching her back up, and silently begged her to lower himself. He followed her lead and she matched their curves, leaning into him while still holding the kiss. His lips tasted so good! She never wanted to stop! She reached up and intertwined her hands into his soft hair. She pulled and he pressed and she absorbed every detail of the moment. Sadly, however, human capibilities only go so far. They, again, had to come up for air.

"Wow..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah... umm, this means we have to talk it out now, right? I don't suppose we could just keep at the lusting? You're a great kisser..." She said, trying to fill the void of the awkward silence.

"I think I like the lusting better at the moment, actually..." Danny said with a goofy grin. He delicately moved a strand of her hair out of her face. She grabbed his hand before he could get it all the way back.

"Fine by me, I've been waiting a long-ass time for this!" Sam said as she tugged his hand hard, making him lose his balance and land on her. She straddled her legs around him, so that she was on top. She reached under his shirt and let her hands explore as she discovered new parts of his mouth with her tongue. He, too, let his hands have fun, and reached under her shirt, tracing with his fingers along her back and up to her bra. His finger lingered, as if waiting for permission. She let go of the kiss and nodded, and with the flick of his finger her bra was undone. She slid it off through her shirt and tugged on Danny's shirt.

Danny wrestled off his shirt and began kissing Sam wherever he could. She, meanwhile, was kissing all up and down his chest and tracing unseen figures onto his abdomen. They pressed against each other in a close embrace and both could feel everything. Sam looked into Danny's eyes and felt like she was drowning. The icey-blue closed in on all sides along with reality. She reached her hand to his chest and pushed herself up and apart from him.

"No, this isn't fair to Valerie!" Oh how she hated herself for saying those words! She loathed Valerie and Valerie hated her with a vengence. They had tried to be friends back in 10th grade, but it hadn't worked and Val knew Sam liked Danny, and she took Sam's silence as a challenge.

"Screw Valerie right now!" Danny said as he lifted up to kiss her neck. Sam shoved his chest down again.

"No! I don't want to be on the side-lines forever! I don't want to be second anymore! If I can't have all of you, I don't want any of you!" Oh, she was going to have to kill herself. The other half of her was after the talking half with a knife.

_What the hell?_ _This is as much as you'll ever get, take it!_

_No! I'm second-to-none! I deserve better!_

_Shut the hell up! Shut up and get back to kissing!_

_No! No, damnit!_

Her second-to-none side won. She scooted to the other side of the bed and sat up, putting space between them.

"Stay over there." She told Danny as he started inching towards her.

"But I'm over here and you're over there, I wanna be over there." He said, making a pouty face at her and acting like a 4-year old.

"Stop it Danny! You heard what I said and we actually have to talk this out!"

"Oh, alright... I don't suppose we can chalk this up to lust and sexual tension?" He said as he rubbed the back of his neck and make a goofy face at her.

"I think we passed that when you took off my bra..." Sam said wryly. Danny just smiled.

"Well, then, umm... Will you start? You kissed me first!"

"Oh, great, real mature Danny. You're the one who kissed me back..." Sam said, starting to blush at the last part. "But anyway, fine. I've liked you for awhile." _Awhile! Awhile! Try the first time I saw your face!_

"Just liked?" Danny said, looking and sounding a little crestfallen.

"Okay fine, really like."

"That's it?"

"Damnit! You want the truth! Fine! I LOVE YOU! There, I said it!" Sam shouted finally, panting slightly afterwards from her explosion.

I guess her parents are still away...

"Good, 'cause I love you too, I just never realized you liked me..."

"And that's where you picked up clueless."

"Oh! It makes sense now!" Danny said, smacking himself in the forehead.

_He's still so much a boy..._ Sam smiled to herself.

_Well, a boy with super powers, an extreme ego, and a huge sense of responsibility that likes to pull a quick disappearing act..._

"Nice job Sherlock. Tucker's gonna be so excited, plus all the other nerds are gonna owe him money." Sam laughed to herself.

"Wait, Tuck knew? And he made a bet on when we'd get together?"

"Yes, and probably, but I don't know for sure about the bets." Sam wrinkled her nose at that thought.

"He better give us a share! Or atleast me!"

_Yep, still a boy... Will he ever grow up? _

_Doubtful..._

"But seriously, what about Valerie? I know you still have feelings for her! And isn't she going to be atleast a little suspicious if you break-up with her and suddenly are totally into me? I mean, think about it. She's not dumb..." Sam was trying to break through his thick head, but she was pretty sure she was completely and utterly failing.

"So..." Danny obviously hadn't followed her train of thought. His eyes were raving over her body, looking in places he hadn't dared let them look at before.

_Damnit! I guess we do this the hard way... and the completely slutty way... I can't beleive I'm letting myself take the Paulina approach..._

Sam moved over to Danny and got eye to eye with him. He looked at her hungrily. She licked her lips slowly. She had his full attention.

"Hey," She whispered in his ear, "do want this?"

"Yes..." his voice was husky and he looked at her with longing.

"Then I need you to pay attention. And then you can have. All. You. Want." She let the last three words hang in the air after they dropped from her tongue. Something must have clicked in his head, because he looked up at her with understanding. "What are we gonna do?"

Danny was thinking hard. "Well, really don't want to hurt Val's feelings, so maybe we could take it slow..." he pouted as he said this last part, knowing that meant he would have to back-off. They couldn't even kiss yet!

"Well, we could alwaysmake-out insecret...?" Sam said. She didn't like the thought of not having Danny at all. She moved over to Danny and sat on his lap. He shifted and moved his arms around her. He began kissing the back of her neck and giving her playful love-bites.

"Hey hey!" Stop giving me hickeys Danny! Do you know how hard they are to explain?"

"Aww..." He set his chin on her shoulder. She looked at her watch. 2:19 AM... _joy... I'll never get to sleep now..._ A soft noise caught her attention. It sounded like... snoring?

"Danny? Danny? Don't tell me you fell asleep. There was only silence for like, 3 seconds! Oh well..." Sam sighed. She removed herself carefully from his lap and laid him on his side. She moved his sleeping form to one side of the bed and pulled the covers over him. She then changed into her pajamas (they consisted of a black tank top and lime green shorts), and slipped into the other side of the bed. Danny rolled over and grabbed her, like she were a life-sized teddy-bear.

_Great, he's trying to make a move on me in his sleep... Oh well..._

She yawned and rolled towards him subconciously. She was out like a light in 7 seconds flat.

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Sam awoke to the warmth of another body in bed with her. She almost screamed until she remembered the events of the night before. She didn't open her eyes but instead grabbed at Danny. To her disliking he was out of the covers and had his shirt back on.

"Damnit, I was almost out Sam! Mom is gonna freak if I'm not in bed! Jazz isn't at home to cover for me, you know that!"

"Mph 5 more minutes...? Pleash?" She hated how sleep disfigured her words.

"I can't. It's already 10. Mom knows I sleep late, but she might check-in on me." Sam pulled herself up. She stared at the digital watch still on her wrist. 10:03 AM. _Damn..._

"Alright, but you have to get your butt back over to my house as soon as you fake waking up and all!" She was up. She wasn't a morning person, but she wanted to be with him.

"Fine fine! Now lemme go!" He pecked her on the lips once, went ghost, and left in the blink of an eye. She sighed to herself. Not a sad sigh anymoe though. A happy sigh.

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**Alright my first freakishly long attempt at fluff... Yeah... I might continue about the "affair" and breaking up and all if there's intrest... Otherwise I'm leaving this at my first pathetic attempt at fluff... So yeah... **

**Oh, incase there's any confusion about why I picked the song, Danny was the "you", Valerie was the "she" and Sam was the "I"... I need sleep now... I'm sleep deprived at the moment, so I'm leaving the hidey-hole (GASP) to go to bed...**

**BYZEZ!**

**-psk**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, there was slight interest. Not much, but a little. Then again, I've been spoiled with having a good story that a lot of people like... (Okay, here's to self advertising! - If you haven't checked out Silent Echoes, then you might wanna, people tell me they think it's pretty cool...) I'm just in the mood to type stuff, so TA-DA!**

**It takes a while to get to the lusty stuffez, I can't just have them all over each other all the time (although I think they might like that...), so bare with me through the non-fluffy stuff!**

**Okay, school started again, and high school's crazy-go-nuts out the wazoo, everyone knows that. Or at least, they should... What with summer reading test, essays, evaluations, and a huge load of forms, I have had no time (this happens EVERY year. You'd think they'd know my grandmother's maiden name by now and have it on file in the AMAZINGLY HUGE _ONE_ single place it's needed... ugh) Poor SE is so neglected, but I've been working on this for at least a month now, so I figured I'd better add to the poor thing.**

**Disclaimer-I own nothing! You cannot even see me! (-flips down a pair of sunglasses and hides very visibly in corner-) YOU DO NOT SEE ME! IGNORE ME! GO ABOUT AS USUAL!**

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Part Two

Sam forced herself to get up after rolling around in her bed for a while, processing all the events and happenings, all the words and wonders of last night. Her parents were away on a "personal" trip this time. Ugh, the thought of them made her stomach churn. She made her bed, went downstairs, ate some toast with jam (after fooling around with the flying toaster from Denmark), and then returned to her room. Her head pounded and she knew she just needed to think.

People do different things when they need to think. They may light a few candles or turn on some soft music. Sam, however, took showers. She shed all of her clothes and slipped into a deep purple bath robe. She walked to her adjoining bathroom, bypassing the bath tub with jets and water that poured from dolphins on all sides like mini waterfalls, and turned on the water to her sauna shower. After shedding her robe, she stepped into the tiny space, sliding the glass doors shut behind her, and just stood under the pulsing stream of hot water.

She went through the motions of washing her hair mechanically. Her mind was elsewhere.

She began to relive the night before.

_I hope I can remember everything! The way his chest feels, how sweet his lips taste, what it feels like when his body is pressed against mine! Oh, it all felt so good! And I'm sure it wasn't a dream? I'm pretty sure it wasn't... I'm positive it wasn't!_

_So, he likes me... Or is he just toying with me?_

_No! This is Danny we're talking about, not some other boy! You've become too distrustful of everyone for your own good! You need to open up to Danny and Tuck again, you've pretty much closed yourself off!_

_Yeah, you're right... Or, I'm right... Whatever... Jazz told me it's not strange to have internal dialouge and arguments with yourself, it's part of the human pshyce..._

Sam inhaled the steamy air, and blew it back out again.

_Focus, I need to sort this out. I love Danny, I think... Danny loves me, or so he thinks... He's going out with Valerie, who hates my guts. Valerie can put two and two together if he drops her and runs to me. She might feel like kicking my ass. It's possible she could, but I'm also a good fighter because of taking all those self-defense and martial arts classes... But anyway, that's not the point._

She leaned her forehead against the cool tile wall.

_How is he gonna break up with her? "Hi, I don't like you anymore, bye!"_ She scoffed. _As if. He really cares about Valerie... Does he care about me more? _She tried to get that thought out of her head, but it just wormed it's way in again.

_I'll just have to hope he does. He's not the type to switch back and forth and crush feelings and hopes. Wait... I've washed my hair seven times now..._

She rinsed out the last of the suds and sat down on the bench built into the left-hand wall. She sat Indian style, her back still in the water, her head and shoulders out. She fiddled with her hair, which was considerably longer then three years before, now down to her mid-back, and returned to her thoughts.

_Okay, so he could break it off with her and we could have a relationship in secret. After Valerie's hurt and suspicion have passed, he can publicly hook up with me. That could work. I just don't think I could handle seeing him with another girl again! _

_Oh, I love taking showers. They're just so warm, and relaxing, and soothing, and they feel like someone's hugging you... wait, WHAT? THAT'S NEVER BEEN THERE BEFORE!_

She raised her head from her hands, and shifted slightly, sneaking a peek behind her. Nothing was there, but it definitely felt like someone was hugging her loosely, but still letting the water get through.

"DANNY! WHAT THE HELL? YOU SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!" Her black haired, blue-eyed, male "friend with benefits" materialized behind her. "I have standards about privacy you know!"

He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I couldn't help it. I came back and heard the shower running. You looked so lonely and sad sitting there all alone!"

"You perv! You shouldn't have come in here if you heard water running! You just wanted to see me naked!" She clutched her arms tight around her chest, squeezed her legs together, and scooted towards the wall. "Out! Out! OUT!"

"Okay okay!" Super-powers or not, the one thing you didn't want to have was the wrath of Sam on you. Her rage was hellfire. Danny stood up, his usual jeans and t-shirt soaked, and slipped out of the shower. A second later she heard lots of water splattering and the door closing softly. Concluding that he was gone, she turned off the shower and went to get out. Then, thinking better of it, she stuck her arm out and grabbed her robe. She pulled it on, cinching the sash tight.

Sam got out of the shower, and saw with satisfaction that at least Danny had gone intangible in the tub, so all the water on him had gone down the drain instead of leaving a big puddle. She opened the door and shivered against the pleasantly cool air.

Danny was sitting on her bed, twiddling his thumbs and waiting for her. He was almost completely dry now. She noted with satisfaction that his clothes were fresh.

"So I guess you faked waking up and all alright?" she asked.

"Yep. Mom even made waffles that weren't radioactive!"

"Well, I'm glad one of us had an appeitite when they ate."

"I'll move outta your room if you want...?" Danny offered after seeing her look at her closet door.

"No, I can change in my closet. Just don't move."

"Okay..." She went into her closet and flipped on the light. Her eyes adjusted and she moved quickly, not pausing to look around in her massive closet. She rifled through the drawers to one of the many dressers in the closet and pulled on some underwear and a bra. Then she pulled a random black skirt off the rack. She moved to another dresser and grabbed a short-sleeved purple shirt. She quickly pulled on some lime green hose and shoved her feet into a pair of combat boots. She buckled them up, then clomped over to a black vanity. She brushed her hair and went to put it up. There, she hesitated. She wanted to do something special for Danny, but he was waiting. She decided to take two strips of hair from the front/side and braid them so they met at the back of her head, and then braid them togther so they became one and it hung down. She liked the way it looked, but it was fast since her hair was still wet. A few wisps fell down into her face and she blew them back, clomping back out of her closet and back to the bed.

Danny whistled as he let out his breath.

"Are you trying to make me feel nervous?" He said as he wiggled around somewhat uncomfortably in his sitting position.

"What?" Sam said, kicking up an eyebrow.

"You look... well... hot!" He said as his cheeks were stained red.

_Has he gotten any more mature AT ALL? He acts like we're still fourteen! Although atleast now he's a better kisser... _

"I'll take that as a compliment." Sam said dryly. She sat down on her bed beside him and snuggled closer. Her wrapped his arm around her and she ended up in his lap. He leaned his head on her shoulder, his messy hair tickling her ear.

"How are you gonna break up with Valerie?" She asked, putting the troublesome question right out in the open. "You are gonna break up with her right? You haven't changed your mind?" She asked, somewhat frantically. This was one of the few times she had ever shown insecurity. She was almost always cool, calm, and collected. This troubled Danny slightly.

"Well, yes..." He furrowed his brow. "It was never really REAL with her. Well, like both of us were just using the other person as a back-up, as we admired someone else from afar." He said all of this slowly, he was obviously in deep thought. "I mean, we really DO care for each other, or atleast, I know I care deeply for her, but it wasn't... well... I don't know!" He shook his head, confused. "We been kind of distanced recently, she's always distracted, plus she's been hunting my other side more viciously than normal, which usually means she's upset or confused about something. Huh, funny," He said with a sort of sacastic laugh, "when she's upset with me, instead of taking it out on me, she takes it out on the other me. She doesn't know, of course, but from a removed perspective, it is kinda funny, in a weird sort of way... Your hair smells good."

"Ooookay..." Sam said. "That still doesn't help us _any. At all._ But that's okay. And thanks, I guess." Danny's cell phone began to ring and vibrate from his pocket and Sam broke into giggles, something she never did, unless she was being tickled (here from the cell phone vibrating). Sam pretty much fell off of Danny's lap and onto the floor where she lay in a giggly heap. Danny pulled out his cell, scowled at it and the number it displayed on it's outside screen, and flipped it open, beginning the call.

"Hey Tuck." Tucker's voice could be heard, slightly muffled.

"Where are ya' dude?"

"Sam's"

"Ooooh, the lovebirds gettin' it on this early in the day, even though you already have a girlfriend." The last part was jealously added. Sure Tucker could make the masses of the female high school population swoon (atleast _now _he could), but he couldn't really find anyone he could connect with on an intellectual level (when Danny, Sam, and Valerie had first heard this, they almost took him to the hospitial. Him? Care about something other than looks and a tolerance of being second to technology in a girl? Outrageous!).

"Suuure Tuck. I'm totally making out with Sam. We're making the hot and heavy." He winked at Sam who was holding her sides, about to explode with laughter. She took the cue and began to make groaning sounds.

"Ooooohh! Oh! Daannnnnyy! OOOOH!" She made the goofiest faces and it was Danny's turn to choke on his laughter as Tuck freaked out on the other side of the phone.

"Holy cow Danny! What did you do to her! Oh my gosh, I DO NOT want to hear that! I'm gonna go throw up now! JUST EWW!" Danny could no longer keep his laughter in and completely cracked up, Sam following suit and nearly in tears rolling on the floor.

"You fell for it! You actually fell for it! But hey, why don't we meet up at my house, Sam's not really liking the 'vibe' or something at her house today." Danny managed to choke out. You could almost see Tucker's face scowling from the other side of the phone.

"Whatever. I'll be there in like, half an hour. I have to finish up a program on the computer. I still have to get all the bugs out, but it gives poor baby a headache to work on it for too long."

Danny just shook his head, all the computer mumbo-jumbo going in one ear and out the other as Tucker went on and on about his new program.

Finally Tuck said goodbye and Danny flipped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket.

"We've got an entire half-an-hour... You know what I can do with thirty minutes?"

Danny looked down at Sam, who was still on the floor, but was sitting on her knees. There was a mishchevious glint in his eyes that she was pretty darn sure she liked. He scooped her up bridal-style and set her on the bed.

She grabbed his shirt and yanked him down. She snaked her hands up and around his back and began kissing him for all she was worth. He returned the kisses and laced his fingers in her hair.

_I never realized how many scars he has... Especially on his back... I wonder how I didn't notice. It's actually kinda' hot, in a rugged kind of way._

As they got more involved in their kisses, Sam began kneading the muscles on Danny's back and groans of pleasure from both sides filled the lustful air. Thirty minutes only lasts that long, however, and Danny jerked back up, realizing they were on a time limit. They had 2 minutes. Crap.

Sam play pouted, but then looked at the clock. Without a word, Danny picked her up and transformed.

Sam watched in muted fascination as Danny's muscles rippled underneath of his jumpsuit. Since the material was skin-tight, and he now had a lot more muscle, you could see a lot more (-hint hint-). The flight was quick, and Danny landed in the alley beside his house. Sam squinted as Danny transformed back. He gentley set her on the ground and they went inside his house.

Tucker arrived around 4 minutes after they did. They both let out a huge sigh of relief as he opened the door. They quickly scooted to opposite sides of the sofa, lest he suspect something. Tuck plopped down between them, and they resumed watching the mindless brain-rot that you really don't want to watch, but since it's summer, you watch it because you can. Noises drifted up from the lab, which always spelt trouble, but at the moment, the trio wasn't concerned.

Then, a commercial came on that reminded Danny of Sam. He looked at her with that glint that she was starting to love so very well, and he said he had to go to the bathroom. She got up a couple minutes later, but Tuck had gotten so drawn into the mind-rot, he didn't even notice.

Sam walked into the kitchen to see Danny hanging around by the pantry.

"Your room, milady!" He said with a playful air, and he gestured inside the pantry.

"Why thank you kind sir!" She played along. They both scooted into the tiny space, and began making-out. They weren't expecting anyone to come opening the door...

They were mid-kiss when the door was opened. Jack stood there, stupified, as they looked up at him, also stupified, still in mid-kiss. He reached slowly for a box of cookies, placed his hand on them, snatched them away as-if the two liplocked teenagers would somehow want to steal them from him, and turned and began walking away quickly as he shut the door. Danny busted out laughing, breaking he and Sam's kiss.

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So, nice mental image? I had a fun time thinking that one up, lol! I really need to get back to SE now, but I hope ya'll are happy with this latest installment! Review please! You can even flame! Just review and give me happiness while I slave away at mountains of homework!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, I took a break from FF sorta' so all of my writing has been abused . Okay, so the rock concert I went to was fun and doesn't really belong in the excuses column (prison where they make you learn stuff you already know and hate, family, parties-oh wait, that doesn't belong either-heh heh...), but yea... Anywho, I'll finish this up at the bottom. **

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Part Three

Since it was near impossible to resume making-out after Jack's little burst in, Danny returned first to the living room, and then a few minutes later Sam did too. Tucker eventually got restless, and the trio decided to go out and do something.

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful until the afternoon. Tucker and Sam were going to see a movie so Danny had some alone time for a certain phone call he had to make. He sat on his bed and held his breath as he dialed in her number on his cell phone. Even though all he got was the normal ring on his side, he could almost hear the goofy little ring she had set to his number-it came from a video game, of course. He sighed and began counting the rings outloud. 

"One-Come on, pick up... Two-PleasepickuppleasepleaseIamnotleavingamessage... Three-Crapyournotgonnapickupareyounocra-"

"Hello?" Valerie's voice filled the line in a questioning tone while Danny was in the middle of saying 'crap'.

"-p." Danny finished his word.

"Danny? Are you there?-" Valerie sounded a little impatient.

"We need to talk" was said in unison by both of them. "I know, you can go first." again, in unison. They both laughed at how they were speaking at the same time, but both of them dreaded what was to come.

"I guess I'll go first," Danny said, swallowing hard. "I think we should break-up, you know, start seeing other people. It's been great with you and I really care for you and all, but there's something missing..." He sighed.

"I know, that's exactly what I was going to say... Wow, kinda' creepy isn't it? I guess that's it then? It's over?" Valerie said with a tiny bit of sadness that dug it's heels hard into Danny as he couldn't help but feel guilty. Little did he know Valerie felt the exact same thing.

"Yeah, I guess... " Danny said. He felt almost hollow inside.

"Yeah..." Valerie answered.

"So what do we say?" Danny began to try to lighten the mood. "Do we say you broke up with me, and make me look like a sissy, or can we say I broke up with you?"

"Da-nny! Please!" She said while laughing.

"So see you around?" He asked, tone much lighter.

"Yeah, you'll see me around, pansy boy!" She said with goofy gusto.

"Hey!"

"Bye now!"

"Aww come on! No fair!" A beep cut in, telling him it was over and he better think of something to say next time he saw her so he didn't stay 'pansy boy' forever. And that was it. It was over, no hard feelings, no broken hearts... If only everything were that easy...

* * *

Danny met back up with Sam and Tucker and they fiddled around for the rest of the evening at Sam's watching movies and scouting on patrol until Tucker and Danny had to go home. Danny fell heavily into to bed after quickly stripping down to his boxers and then he cut out the light. He was soon fast asleep.

* * *

He was having that dream again. He knew it was a dream, but at the same time it felt so real. He was reliving that night at the Circus Gothica when he was 14 again, but with weird twists and inconsistancies. No longer was Tucker on the roof with the ghost goons and Freakshow. All of them were gone, it was just he and Sam. It was like someone had cut all of them out of the picture, but Sam was still reacting to them. He watched Sam fall as he saw through hazy eyes. No! He dove after her as he watched her near the ground. He began putting on speed, tapping into power he hadn't had when he was 14. This was where things got completely different from that night. 

Instead of catching her when he got to the point where Sam was about 5 feet from the ground, suddenly she had large black wings and she pulled up on her own, right into his arms. She looked like a fallen angel to him.

He had stolen one of Jazz's dream analysis books once, and apparantly Sam looked like that because in his mind she was perfect and the wings were black instead of white because it fit into her personality.

And here came the point where he would wake up, in ghost mode, floating in Sam's room, like he always did after this dream. The first night it scared him horribly. What if someone had seen him? Or more importantly, what if Sam woke up before he did? How would he explain that? The had never happened, however, and he became used to it.

He popped awake, floating about a foot off her floor. He righted himself, still floating, and looked at Sam's sleeping form. He didn't know what to call that dream, it started off as a nightmare, but it always ended well. He never particualrly enjoyed it, well that is, until he awoke. Then he enjoyed it immensely, just because he got to occupy the same room as Sam did for just a little bit longer than usual. He was very tempted to wake her. He wanted to take her flying. That was the one thing he wished he could give her above all else-the ability to fly. It was like free-falling without being afraid of the ground, like swimming without the effort or the pressure of the water. Even those things didn't even give it justice. It was like nothing else in this universe.

She rolled over in her sleep and shoved the pillow off of the bed. Danny bent over and gently returned the pillow to it's place beneath her head. He didn't anticipate Sam to grab his arm and pull him into bed with her, however. Surprisingly, she appeared to still be asleep.

"Tried to sneak up on me, huh?" Sam said, still feigning sleep.

Or not...

"But, n-no, well, y-yeah, but it was an accident!" He didn't want her to think anything weird about him-like she would.

"Yeah yeah, sure..." She cuddled up to him, putting her head on his chest. 'So much for sleeping' he thought. He was in ghost mode and there was no way he was switching back based on their current positions. Maybe he could just look at her all night. That wasn't too creepy, right? He snuggled down more with her and Sam shut her eyes and sighed.

Danny's luminescence cast a slight glow on Sam and he couldn't help but look at her. "You're staring at me aren't you? I can tell." She opened her eyes and, without moving her head, looked up at him. She shivered a little. Suddenly it clicked with her that he was in ghost form and couldn't sleep. "You're not gonna change back?"

"Nope"

"Please?"

"Nope"

"Why not?"

"'Cause"

"Beacuse why?"

"Not wearing anything but boxers."

"Why? Wait, I don't even want to know... So?"

"It's embarassing"

"It's just like swim trunks"

"Never thought of that... Still, nope"

"Fine, whatever." Sam finally sighed grudgingly, giving up. "Not sleep I'm missing."

"I already had an hour or two, I'm good for tomorrow atleast." He said, giving himself an excuse.

"You better hope a ghost doesn't rob you of sleep tomorrow night." Sam pointed out. Danny just stuck his tongue out at her. Sam settled back down on Dann'y chest and promptly fell asleep. Danny admired Sam for a bit, then was bored for a bit, admired her again, and then suddenly it was 6 AM, black hair was hanging in his face, he was just in boxers, and Sam was pretty much curled up on his chest. He slipped out from underneath of her and stuck a ton of her pillows in his spot (Thank you intangibility!). Hopefully she wouldn't miss the warmth because for most of the night he had been freezing cold to the touch anyway.

He felt bad about just leaving so he grabbed some notebook paper from her bookbag where it had been abandoned in the corner ever since graduation. He rifled through it for something to write with, and settled with a stub of a pencil. He quickly scrawled out a note:

"Gotta go, sorry, didn't wanna wake you up. I'll see you later today and might possibly explain last night. Hope you're not mad about this!

Danny

P.S. I love you forever and today"

He changed into ghost mode (bare boxers are cold! and who's gonna' walk across town in nothing but boxers?), set the note on her night stand, and rocketed towards his house, changing back and throwing the covers over his head just in time for the red-head nusiance who was his sister to open the door.

"I'm back from my summer research trip!" It hadn't really been a research thing: more like a vacation for super-smart college kids to London. "And don't try and fake that you're asleep, I watched you rocket in here. So who was it? Skulker? Technus? The Box Ghost? or Valerie?"

Danny grunted in reply and slowly sat up, a scowl on his face.

"Ooo, a girl, but not Valerie... So you finally hooked up with Sam. Tuck owes me money."

Danny was at a loss for words and so he picked some very apropiate ones from his shrinking from embarassment vocabulary, consisting of "OUT! OUT OUT OUT! NOW!"

Jazz simply stuck her tongue out at him. You would think at almost 20 she'd be a bit old to do that (or have her own place besides a dorm room, as Danny often complained), but alas, when dealing with her sibling, she let all of her inner child out to play.

* * *

**I know, I know, phone break-up. I'm lame, okay? I just couldn't coordinate it in person, it was always ÜBER-AWKWARD! Oh, and when Danny is at Sam's, I'm using the theory that he doesn't need things in ghost form, ie: can't sleep, doesn't get hungry, thirsty, ect. My cousin went on the type of trip I sent Jazz on, so I know they exist. I like to cut off with funny endings when I can, so I did. Not so much 'actual' romancing, but I thought I put alot of really sweet stuff in here. **

**Who can guess where "P.S. I love you forever and today" came from? Person with most right answer gets something, it may be a sneak peek, a virtual cookie, ect. I don't know yet...**

**Alright, I have no defense for lack of updates, I know. I'm actually pretending to be sick to get this out (-big grin-) I'm sneaky! And I was going to have gym this morning... 2 miles in 20 minutes really isn't my favorite activity...**


End file.
